2004-10-12
//BRDA
MSA British Rallycross Championship at Mondello ParkDunlop
Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year Eoin Murray
was in impressive form at Mondello Park this weekend when
he competed in the BRDA MSA British Rallycross at the Co.
Kildare venue in his self run Peugeot 205.

Setting
fastest run times and winning all of his heats on the Saturday
he put himself on pole for the Stock Hatch final on Saturday
afternoon. A slipping clutch impeded his getaway off the
line and dropped him to fourth by the first corner however
a valiant fight back saw him pick off championship leader
Adrian Horsley after just one lap and catching and passing
Julian Godfrey with just a half lap to go. In the short
space left to the line he closed on race leader Jamie Lea
and they disputed the win right to the line with some deft
defensive driving giving Lea the win by a margin of less
than a car length.

Murray
again set the fastest run time of the day on Sunday by a
margin of 5sec. however despite this he had to settle for
row two of the grid for the final. A great start saw him
in second place, behind polesitter Adrian Horsley, after
the first corner. At ‘the Hole in the Hedge’
on the second lap Murray made his move and got the lead.
Under breaking at Dunlop Horsley speared into the rear of
Murray’s car putting him totally sideways however
Murray managed to pull it back from a 90 degree angle and
still hold the lead. It was at this point that the rules
of gentlemanly motorsport went out the window and Horsley
unceremoniously drove Murray off the circuit and into the
pit wall finishing his race after only two laps.

Horsley
was lucky to hold his win and received only the merest of
penalties, in the circumstances, of a fine of 100Euro and
three further points for his licence an Irish official of
the meeting commenting afterwards felt that to penalise
Horsley further would have been seen as ‘’anti
British’’.

Murray
who raced in the European Alfa Challenge last season and
took several podiums and fastest laps came fourth overall
in that championship. He is now considering offers to compete
in the World Alfa Romeo Challenge in 2005.